


The Secret Empire

by starwarsbean



Series: Decisive [3]
Category: Star Wars Prequel Trilogy, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Serenno, Sith reader, Smut, Tithea, ex jedi reader
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-07
Updated: 2020-07-23
Packaged: 2021-03-04 22:55:05
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 8,311
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25134229
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/starwarsbean/pseuds/starwarsbean
Summary: Nala and her Master, Darth Maul, are on Serenno, taking part in an important Separatist conference.
Relationships: Darth Maul/Original Female Character(s), Darth Maul/Reader
Series: Decisive [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1790482
Kudos: 9





	1. Opinions

Nala jolted slightly as the ship touched down on Serenno’s surface. 

‘’Time to go’’ Maul said, placing a hand on her back. 

Nala nodded, and the two walked out of the cockpit. They got to the bottom of the ship, and Maul suddenly brought her to him, wrapping her in his arms and placing a kiss on her forehead. 

‘’You’ll tell me if anyone tries anything?’’ He asked, a snarl evident in his voice.

‘’Of course’’ She said, wrapping her arms around him.

Maul nodded, releasing her. They both placed the hoods of their cloaks over their heads, and Maul pressed a button on the wall. A door opened and a ramp fell to the ground. Nala walked out first, Maul following close behind. Nala stopped, crossing her arms and taking in the breathtaking scenery of the forested planet. Maul placed a hand on her back and the two walked forward.

‘’Beats Dathomir’’ She muttered under her breath. Behind her, she could sense Maul smile. 

They continued walking forwards, until finally, a tall figure in a dark brown cloak approached them. 

‘’Dooku’’ Maul snarled quietly

Nala nodded, continuing to walk forwards. 

‘’Lord Maul’’ Dooku said, walking to meet them. ‘’And Nala Undarrie. What a pleasant surprise’’

Nala smiled out of respect. But in all honesty, she wanted to punch the man. Her Master was right. He really did talk to you as if you were a piece of trash, undeserving of his attention.

‘’Bitch’’ She thought, shielding her emotions from everyone but Maul. Through the Force, she could feel him struggle to contain a smile.

‘’Welcome to Serenno’’ He continued. ‘’I will have someone show you to your rooms.’’

Maul nodded, and placing a hand on Nala’s back, they walked into the sprawling fortress.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
Nala and Maul had been on Serenno for a few hours now. They both had very large rooms, and had been told if they needed anything, to send for someone. 

Maul had given his Apprentice the afternoon off, to get settled, and explore the palace if she desired. Nala had indeed gone on a long walk, exploring the grounds. She also meditated a few times, trying to get a feel for the energy surrounding Dooku and the palace. However, he tightly shielded his emotions, but Nala was persistent. Finally, she gave up, standing up and picking up her comlink. She pressed a few buttons and Maul picked up quickly.

‘’Can we go fly somewhere?’’ Nala asked. ‘’I’ve only been in this room for a couple hours but I don’t like the energy in this place.’’

‘’Of course’’ Maul replied deeply. ‘’Meet me outside in 10 minutes.’’

‘’Yes, Master.’’ She said, shutting off her comm. 

Nala quickly changed out of the oversized t-shirt she was wearing (the same one Maul had given her a few days ago) and into a pair of leather pants and a loose flowy top. She clipped her sabers to her belt and walked out of the room, passing a few people, whom she assumed were slaves, on her way to the gardens. As she passed them, they bowed, but she could sense their envy and anger. 

She smiled as she sensed their jumbled emotions, feeling a sense of pride and superiority.

Eventually, she got to the back gardens behind the sprawling mansion, where she found Maul sitting on a bench, watching her approach him. She smiled at him as he stood up, stretching out his arms and placing a hand over his mouth as he faked a yawn.

‘’Give me a break’’ Nala laughed, punching him on his bicep.

Maul laughed, and moved to a more open area of the garden right in front of a large window, Nala following not far behind.

‘’Dooku’s watching us’’ He growled quietly so only Nala could hear. 

Nala snarled. She didn’t need to turn around to know that the Sith Lord was on the other side of the window. By now she could sense his presence a mile away. Suddenly, she had a thought, and smiled lightly.

‘’What are you thinking?’’ Maul asked, smiling lightly

‘’Let’s give him a show’’ Nala said coyly, taking a few steps back and extending her arms. She closed her eyes and felt her body tingling, and before she knew it, she had shape-shifted. 

She flew up and was quickly joined by Maul.

‘’Shall we?’’ He asked, jerking his head to the sprawling mountains that dotted the horizon.

Nala said nothing, instead twisting her large body and flying towards the mountains. Maul quickly caught up to her, and she contorted her body, shooting up so she was flying inches below his stomach. He swerved, flying low enough to graze the tops of trees as he flew inches above. Nala joined him, and they flew side by side for quite some time.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a clearing on the side of a tall mountain. Nala stopped and raced to it. She didn’t need to ask Maul, she knew he’d follow her.

She landed and returned to her humanoid appearance, Maul not far behind. 

As soon as he shape-shifted back into his normal appearance, she pounced on him, her legs straddling his waist and her arms around the back of his neck. She leaned forwards and kissed him, sighing happily as he kissed her back.

‘’Why did I know you were going to do this?’’ He asked as he rubbed her back. 

‘’Am I that predictable?’’ She asked 

‘’Around me, yes.’’

She laughed, leaning in and kissing him again.

The two stayed like that for a bit, savouring the peace and serenity of the planet. 

‘’What are your impressions on Dooku?’’ Maul said, searching her face for emotion and quickly finding it.

Nala growled, letting go of him and walking to a nearby fallen tree, which she sat down on. Maul soon joined her and picked her up, sitting her in his lap.

‘’I take it you’re not a big fan’’ He said, more of a statement than a question. 

Nala shook her head before burying it in his neck. 

‘’I warned you, sweetheart’’ He said

‘’He acts as if he owns everything. His ego’s bigger than this kriffing planet’’ She growled into his neck, her voice mumbled. 

‘’Just wait until you see him wield a lightsaber.’’ Maul snarled. ‘’He thinks he’s the best.’’

‘’He does anyways, wether he’s lightsaber-ing or not’’ She growled

Maul laughed. 

‘’What?’’ She said, moving her head so their faces were almost level.

‘’Lightsaber-ing?’’ He smiled

‘’Oh shut up’’ 

Maul laughed, placing a kiss on her forehead and continuing to rub her back as she hugged him. 

‘’Sun’s going down’’ Maul remarked

‘’Okay’’ Nala said.

‘’We should head back.’’

‘’No’’ She replied simply, holding onto him tightly.

Maul laughed as he tried to pry Nala off, but she refused to let go. 

‘’So you want me to fly back to the palace with you wrapped around me like a Sarlacc?’’ Maul said, standing up easily despite Nala still clinging to him

‘’Yes’’ She said

‘’What about Dooku?’’ 

‘’What about him?’’

Maul smiled.

‘’Baby you know I can’t do that.’’

‘’Yes you can’’ Nala replied, her stomach fluttering at the new nickname. 

‘’Not tonight, Princess’’

‘’Why not?’’ Nala complained

‘’Because Sidious is supposed to arrive in an hour, and you and I both have to be there.’’

‘’We will be there’’ She said, grinning

Maul laughed, throwing his head back in exasperation. 

‘’We both have to change. We can’t show up to meet Sidious like this.’’

‘’Oh now you’re just making excuses’’ Nala said, gently kissing his neck.

Maul suddenly grabbed her throat, giving it a squeeze as he brought her face to his. Nala growled as she licked her lips.

‘’Later, sweetheart’’ He said deeply before he kissed her, still holding her neck. 

‘’Promise?’’ Nala asked.

Maul nodded, and she reluctantly let go of him, sliding to her feet. 

‘’Meet you in 40 minutes at the main entrance?’’ Maul asked

Nala nodded. Maul walked over and kissed her one last time. She smiled as she stepped back and shape-shifted. 

‘’See you soon, Princess’’ He said, and they both shot up, flying back towards the looming palace.


	2. Ventress

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sidious arrives on Serenno, and Nala and Ventress form an unexpected friendship.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoy!! :))

It didn’t take long for Nala and Maul to return to Dooku’s palace. Once they arrived, they both went their separate ways, returning to their respective rooms and hastily changing into more, professional looking clothes. Nala checked her holopad and saw the time. She had approximately fifteen minutes until Sidious was scheduled to arrive, but he might be early for all she knows. She picked up her comm and threw on her cloak, letting it fall over her shoulders as she clipped her lightsabers to her waist. Rushing through the halls, she almost ran over Maul as he came speeding from his room, he too throwing his cloak over his shoulders.

‘’Well hello, Master’’ Nala smiled

Maul looked back and smiled.

‘’We have to go’’ He said, turning and speed walking through the long corridors.

‘’That’s what I was doing’’ Nala exclaimed, throwing up her arms in exasperation and running after her Master, who was considerably faster than she was. 

They arrived at the main entrance right as Dooku and his Apprentice walked out of a door to their left. 

‘’That Ventress?’’ Nala said to Maul quietly. 

He nodded as they made eye contact with Dooku.

The two walked over to where Dooku and Ventress were standing. Dooku nodded at them and they returned the nod. 

Nala stared at Ventress. They seemed to be about the same age, and Ventress was very clearly a Nightsister. 

Nala was going to start a conversation with the witch when suddenly, a large ship flew very close, and began landing not far from them.

‘’Sidious?’’ Nala asked her Master through their connection in the Force.

‘’Who else?’’ He replied

Nala smiled. 

‘’Good point’’

A cloaked figure exited the ship, wearing a cloak drawn over most of his face. He couldn’t be much taller than Nala herself, who was only about 5’4. Sidious approached the group, and when he got within a few feet, they all bowed their heads.

‘’My Lord’’ They said

Sidious nodded, seemingly examining all of them until his eyes rested on Nala. She could see a smile tug at the corner of his lips as he approached her. 

‘’Hello, young Undarrie’’ He said. ‘’It is a pleasure to finally meet you in person’’

Nala nodded, bowing her head once again. 

‘’The pleasure is all mine, my Lord’’

He smiled as he walked to Dooku.

‘’Darth Tyranus, thank you for hosting this important conference yet again.’’

Dooku said something, and the two walked into the palace.

Maul placed a hand on Nala’s back and the two took a different door into the palace. But, Nala noticed Ventress was still standing there. 

‘’You may go’’ Maul said, jerking his head slightly towards the Nightsister.

‘’Thank you, Master’’ She said, turning to run back but stopped, gazing at Maul over her shoulder. ‘’Can I meet you at your room in an hour? I want to go over our training session from this afternoon.’’ 

Maul struggled to contain a smile as he nodded his approval. Nala smiled and winked at him as she ran off to find Ventress. 

Since her Master had walked off with Sidious, Ventress had walked quite far to the left side of the palace, but Nala quickly caught up to her. 

As Nala approached her, Ventress turned around.

‘’Hey’’ Nala said, cautiously walking up next to her.

‘’You’re Maul’s Apprentice, right?’’ She asked, looking her up and down

Nala nodded. ‘’I’m Nala’’ She said. ‘’Ventress, right?’’ 

She nodded. ‘’Walk with me?’’ 

Nala smiled and the two started walking. 

‘’You were a Jedi, right?’’ Ventress asked.

Nala snarled as she nodded.

‘’I was too, you know’’ 

Nala looked up at her. 

‘’My Master was Ky Narec. But he was killed by pirates’’ She scowled. ‘’After I avenged his death, I knew I could not return to the temple. I sought out an alternative, and for a while, I was a bounty hunter, until I came across Count Dooku. Well, technically, I was supposed to kill him for a bounty, but when I got attacked by some crazy creature before I even landed on the planet’s surface, and I had to wander into this place. I almost lost my left arm because of that crazy thing, and to this day, I don’t even know what it was. Anyways, he seemed to sense I was Force-Sensitive so he took me as his Apprentice. The rest is history, I guess.”

“That’s kinda insane.” Nala said. She had been listening intently to the Nightsister’s story.

“What about you?” Ventress asked. “Why’d you leave the Order?”  
“Long story” She replied, smiling and rolling her eyes.

Ventress waited, and Nala found a nearby bench and sat down on it, Ventress joining her.

“Basically, Maul snatched one of my ARC troopers and we had to go find him, and Maul told me he would release him as long as I went and talked to him for an hour every night. So, I did, and the more I did, the more I discovered about myself, and the lies the Jedi would tell us.”

Ventress nodded.

“They basically brainwashed us.” Nala said, staring into space.

The two sat there in silence for a few moments, until Nala’s comm beeped. 

“Yes?” She said as she pressed accept.

“I thought you’d wanted to go over training plans?” Maul’s voice echoed from the comm.

“Oh Kriff” Nala said, standing up. “Master what time is it?”

“10:45” Maul replied

“Be right there” She said, shutting off the comm.

“I’ve gotta go” She said, turning around and facing Ventress. “Wanna hang out or train together tomorrow or something?”

Ventress smiled. 

“Sure” She said.

Nala returned the smile and ran off towards the palace.


	3. Dooku

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nala races through Dooku's sprawling estate to get to her Master.

As Nala ran through the halls of the sprawling estate Count Dooku called home, she nearly ran over multiple droids and slaves, but did not turn around. 

“It’s a wonder I haven’t gotten myself lost in here” She thought to herself

Finally, she arrived in front of Maul’s room. She pressed a button on the wall and the door sprang open. She tentatively walked in, but found the room deserted. 

“Master?” She asked as she took a few tentative steps further into the room.

“I was beginning to think you weren’t going to show up” He said deeply, emerging from a dark corner of the large room.

“You know I wouldn’t miss this” Nala growled, walking over and stroking Maul’s cheek.

Maul growled and grabbed her wrist, bringing it to his mouth and gently kissing it, before leaving a trail of kisses all the way up her clothed arm to her bare neck. She hissed as he bit the sensitive skin. 

Nala grabbed Maul’s face, bringing it to hers and clashing their lips together. Maul ran his hands up and down Nala’s body, savouring every curve. She growled as he placed both his hands on her ass, squeezing it. Nala took a step back, and slowly unzipped her top so her breasts were exposed as Maul kept his hands on her waist.

A smile formed on his face as he watched her. She gently ran a hand over his horns, and he growled as he leaned into her touch. Nala continued to stroke his horns and smiled as he shivered at the contact. Suddenly, he picked her up, one hand on her butt and one hand stroking her Lekku. She whined as she clung onto Maul, moving to kiss him, until he stopped her by placing a finger to her lips.

“Patience, sweetheart” He said, smiling at her.

Nala pouted but continued to stroke his horns as he carried her across the large room. He placed her on the bed and sat down, Nala quickly crawling on top of him, sitting in his lap and straddling his waist. Maul smiled and reached up a hand to palm her breasts, but she swatted it away and smiled coyly at him.

“Patience, love” She said, licking her lips.

He growled, but did not protest. She smiled as she slowly unzipped her top before peeling it off her arms and throwing it on the floor. She unclipped her bra, letting it slide off before moving closer to Maul, grabbing his hand and placing it on her breasts, letting out a satisfied moan as he began to palm her. He placed his mouth on her chest, leaving a trail of kisses all along her tattoos. She whined as he bit down on her nipples, before running over them with his tongue.

He trailed a hand down her body, following her tattoos until they disappeared at the waistband of her pants. 

He let his hand venture further down until it was resting on her clothed clit. For a few moments, he kept it there, unmoving as he watched Nala, who quickly became impatient and began to grind down on his fingers. 

“What were you saying about patience?” Maul joked, slowly beginning to rub circles with his fingers, causing Nala to moan quietly. 

Nala continued to grind on Maul’s fingers until suddenly she stopped. She quickly became very alert, and sat up, looking around. Maul seemed to notice it too, because he picked up Nala off his lap and sat her down next to him.

“Dooku” He growled quietly.

Nala could sense him too, and quickly focused all her energy on creating a type of shield, so he couldn’t read her emotions. Through the Force, she could feel Maul doing the same, and on the outskirts of their shields, Dooku was prodding, trying to get into their heads.

“Why is he even here?” Nala asked her Master through their connection in the Force.

“No idea” Maul replied. “But if he tries anything, he’s a dead man”

Nala smiled, and felt a warm wave of emotions surge through her as Maul reached for her hand and interlaced their fingers. 

Eventually, the pair could sense Dooku leaving, but did not deter them from shielding their thoughts.

“He will return” Maul said aloud. “You should probably go”

Nala nodded. Though she knew she had too, she was still disappointed at having to leave her Master. In those few short seconds, Nala’s hatred for Dooku intensified. 

Maul seemed to sense this and brought Nala to him, wrapping his arms around her and placing a gentle kiss to her forehead.

“As soon as we’re off this planet, you can have anything you desire” He said, winking at her.

Nala smiled and leaned in to kiss him, their lips locking in a gentle but possessive way. 

Nala backed away and stood up, reaching for her clothes and putting them back on, before making her way back to Maul and kissing him one last time.

“Goodnight, love” She said

Maul smiled at her as she made her way onto his large balcony and shape-shifted into her bat-like appearance, flying off and landing a short distance away on her own balcony.  
Once she returned to her humanoid form, she changed and sat on the ground, meditating. Maul had told her General Grievous would be arriving tomorrow.

“Hopefully he’s not as ratchet as Dooku” She snarled to herself

Eventually, she got tired and stood up, making her way to her bed and falling fast asleep.


	4. Waterfalls

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nala runs into Ventress, and the two eat breakfast together, until Dooku arrives. Nala quickly leaves and she and her Master seek out a calmer area to train. Maul remarks that his apprentice's strength is intensifying each day after a harsh combat.

Nala awoke the next morning and sprung out of bed, quickly getting dressed and exiting her room. As she walked through the halls in search of food, she ran into Ventress.

“Oh hey” She said

“Morning” Ventress said sleepily

“I’m gonna go get some food, you wanna come with me?”

“Sure”

The two walked off towards the kitchens and found some fresh fruit and a few pastries, which were incredibly rare to Nala. As a Jedi, she really only ate the same rations the clones ate, and she and Maul spent so much time on their ship that they ate pre-packaged food or leftovers from when they would occasionally stop somewhere, so this was a welcome change.

Nala and Ventress found seats in the large dining room and sat down next to each other. For a while, they ate in silence, until Ventress spoke up. 

“ ‘s this your first time on Serenno?”

Nala nodded, her mouth full of food.

“Lucky. I admit, it’s beautiful and all, but after a while, it gets boring. Thank God my Master sends me on all sorts of missions pretty much everywhere.”

“Beats Dathomir” Nala smiled, rolling her eyes

Ventress smiled.

“You’re from there, right?” Nala asked

Ventress nodded.

“My Master and I often go visit Mother Talzin, because we spend so much time on Dathomir and there’s not much else on that dustball.” Nala continued

Ventress smiled. “Mother Talzin is so fascinating.”

“For sure” Nala agreed. “I quite like her.”

The two continued their discussion until Count Dooku walked in, and Nala had to contain a snarl.

“Good morning” Dooku greeted, but with little to no warmth. 

The two smiled and nodded, and Ventress greeted her Master, but Nala made no effort to be cordial. 

She quickly finished her food and stood up. 

“If you’ll excuse me, my Master is expecting me” She said.

Dooku and Ventress nodded.

“See you later” Ventress said.

Nala smiled and made her way out of the large room.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Nala walked through the never-ending halls until she finally arrived in front of her Master’s room. She opened the door, storming in and plopping down on the bed, not even bothering to look around for her Master.

“Well hello to you” He said, walking out of a small room adjacent to his.

“Hi” Nala grunted

“What’s wrong, sweetheart.” He asked, sensing her jumbled emotions.

“You know that feeling when you really wanna kill someone?” She asked, speaking more to herself than to her Master. 

“Mhm” Maul said, moving over towards her and leaning over, placing a gentle kiss on her cheek. Nala smiled at the gesture and looked up at him, noticing he was shirtless.

“That’s how I feel about Dooku” She finished   
“Understandable.” Maul said, sliding a hand under her back and picking her up so she was in a sitting position, before sliding behind her, her head resting on his bare chest.

“He’s quite an arrogant man” He continued, absent-mindedly stroking her lekku. 

Nala nodded, growling. 

“We’ve got about six hours until Grievous gets here, what do you feel like?” He asked

Nala thought for a moment, then spoke.

“I wanna fly somewhere far and find a waterfall, then train at the top of the waterfall then go swimming.” She said boldly, a smile forming on her face.

Maul laughed gently, the sound reverberating through his chest and into her lekku. 

“Always so ambitious.” He said, placing a kiss on the top of her head.

Nala smiled. “So was that a yes or a no?”

Maul smiled, gently picking her up and placing her on the ground in front of him, his hands on her hips as she smiled down at him. 

“Let me get a shirt then we’ll find you a waterfall.”

Nala smiled, pulling Maul up off the bed and wrapping her arms around him in a tight hug. 

Eventually, she let him go and he found a tunic, putting it on before they exited his room, venturing through the halls until they made their way outside, and found a large clearing in the garden.

They shape-shifted, and took off, flying for quite some time over tall trees and mountains.

“See any waterfalls, sweetheart?” Maul asked through their connection in the Force. 

“Not any that I like.” She replied, grinning.

Maul smiled and rolled his eyes. 

“Always so picky”

“You should be used to it by now”

Maul smiled, and they kept flying until Nala finally found a waterfall she liked. They flew next to it, all the way up to the top and found a small spot near the edge of the waterflow where they could train with ease.   
They both shapeshifted back to their humanoid appearances and Maul walked over to the Twi’lek.

“Lightsaber training?” He asked

Nala nodded, stepping back and grabbing her sabers from her belt. Maul did the same and they both ignited their weapons, readying themselves. 

Maul made the first move, advancing towards Nala and using his dual-bladed saber to push her backwards, closer to the waterfall rushing right behind them. Nala pushed back, her saber strokes becoming more frequent, and more aggressive, nearly knocking Maul. She did not take his instability for granted as she quickly slipped beneath his legs, springing up behind him. Before he even had time to turn around, she had both her sabers around his neck. She smiled coyly as he slowly turned around. When he faced her, their eyes met. They kept eye contact for a few brief seconds, but it felt much longer. 

Before Nala had time to react, Maul ducked below her sabers, kicking out her knee and jumping up, igniting his saber and moving to attack. Despite the pain in her knee, Nala stood up, re-igniting her sabers and blocking Maul’s ferocious blows.

Maul attacked with such force that Nala had a hard time keeping up with his rhythmic, violent strokes. She could feel herself getting pushed closer and closer to the torrential fall of water right behind her. With about two feet of room until she fell over, she took a split second decision. 

She jumped up, flipping over Maul and landing on her feet behind him. She kicked out his feet, and he fell to the ground. His lightsaber flew out of his hand, and Nala called it to her with the Force. She kept one of her sabers around his neck, and ignited his saber, using his own weapon against him. She held her Master’s saber to his legs, making it impossible for him to escape. 

He growled, both in pride at his Apprentice’s ability, and disappointment at himself for being bested. 

Nala smiled proudly. 

“Yield!” She said

“I yield” Maul growled

Nala smiled, shutting off the sabers and extending a hand to her Master, who took it and got up. Nala handed him his saber which he grabbed and attached to his belt.

“You are becoming more and more powerful with each passing day” He said, placing a kiss to her forehead. “I am proud of you.”

Nala smiled, leaning into her Master. He wrapped his arms around her, resting his chin on the top of her head. 

A few moments later, he took a step back, keeping his arms on Nala’s waist. 

“Didn’t you say you wanted to go swimming?” He asked slyly. 

A smile formed on Nala face as she stepped back, dropping her lightsabers to the ground before her shirt and pants soon joined, leaving her in only a bra and panties. She smiled coyly at her Master, who was looking her up and down, smiling.

“Meet you at the bottom!” She yelled, running towards the rushing water.

Before she could let her fear overcome her, she threw herself over the falls.

She seemed to be falling for an eternity, until finally, she could see the flow of water end in a pool below her. When she got about fifty feet above the pool, she used the Force to slow her fall, and she splashed into the water. 

She was met by the cool feel of the smooth water around her. She brought her head above water. Blinking the water out of her eyes, she saw the figure of her Master near the edge of the falls. He looked small in comparison to the endless flow of water. She stayed in the same spot, treading water as she watched Maul throw himself over the falls, falling quicker and quicker towards the pool of water where Nala swam. Like she, he used the Force to slow his fall, and he careened gracefully into the water.

Nala waited a few long moments, until she finally saw the Zabrak’s head emerge not far from her own. She smiled and swam over. 

“You’re crazy” Maul said, laughing gently and shaking his head.

“You love it” Nala replied, laughing

“I love you” He said gently.

Nala wasn’t sure she heard properly. It must’ve just been the falls making her hear things.

“Nala, I love you.” Maul repeated

This time, she heard it loud and clear. 

“I love you too” She said breathlessly

Maul smiled, pulling her close to him and closing the space between them with a searing kiss. 

The two stayed in the water, Nala’s legs straddling Maul’s waist while he stayed afloat for both of them. 

“I love you” Nala said once again in between kisses. “I love you so much”

Maul smiled through the kiss, pressing Nala closer to him. She broke the kiss and rested her head on his shoulder.

They stayed like that for a bit, Maul swimming for both of them, until they decided to get out of the water.

Sitting on the shore near the edge of the water, they talked for hours, about their fears, they dreams, and the upcoming Separatist conference. 

“Speaking of that” Maul said. “Grievous is going to arrive in a few hours.”

Nala, sprawled across Maul’s lap, nodded.

“But we, missy, have to get our things” He said, kissing her lekku gently.

She smiled and stood up, stepping back and shape-shifting into her bat-like appearance. Maul did the same and the two flew back up to the top of the waterfall, where they put on their clothes and attached their lightsabers to their belts, before returning to their bat-like aspect. 

They flew back to Dooku’s sprawling estate, landing in one of the many back gardens, before walking into the palace. 

“See you soon” Maul said, shape-shifting into his normal appearance and winking at Nala. 

She smiled and watched Maul walk back to his room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ahh this was such an exciting chapter to write!! 
> 
> ALSO WHO IS EXCITED FOR THE BAD BATCH SHOW?! they're literally my favourite ever and i love hunter and crosshair so much i literally can't wait for the show. IM STILL LOOSING MY SHIT I GET MY BOYS BACK IN 171 DAYS!!!! 
> 
> btw my insta edit account is @/crosshair.vs if you wanna follow me :)
> 
> i really hope you enjoyed this chapter!!!


	5. Grievous

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> General Grievous arrives on Serenno.

Nala stepped into the refresher, letting the cool water flow over her, wiping away the day’s adventures. She washed herself then shut off the water, stepping out of the shower and drying herself off. Naked, she walked through her large room into an equally large closet, picking out a clean pair of black leather pants and a long-sleeve black leather top. She dressed herself, putting on her knee-length boots and throwing on her cloak as she made her way out the door, checking her comm as she went. Approximately 20 minutes until Grievous was scheduled to arrive. The flight back to Dooku’s mansion had taken much more time than anticipated, almost an hour and fifteen minutes, so when she got back to her room, she had quickly showered and was now walking towards her Master’s room. They had decided to meet there ten minutes before Grievous would arrive, and walk down together. 

Nala arrived at Maul’s room, opening the door and walking in, finding her Master in the middle of his large room, buttoning up his tunic. As Nala walked in, he turned to her and smiled. She returned the smile and placed a quick kiss to his lips. She smiled as his golden eyes glowed.

“You look nice” He said, looking her up and down.

Nala laughed.

“Sweetheart this is what I wear almost everyday.”

“Who said you don’t look nice everyday?” He replied with a smug grin

Nala laughed and ran a hand along the length of his arm. 

“Let’s get going” She said

Maul nodded, walking off into a room which Nala assumed was a closet, re-emerging with a cloak which he threw over his shoulders. They walked out of the room and made their way down to the front of the large palace. When they arrived, they found only Dooku there. Through their connection in the Force, Nala groaned to her Master. 

Maul smirked at her, gently placing a hand on her back as they walked closer to the Sith Lord. 

“My Apprentice had some issues she needed to attend to” Dooku stated simply. 

Maul nodded, and much to Nala’s delight, stood in between she and Dooku. 

Moments later, a ship landed in front of them. A ramp lowered and out walked the cyborg General. 

“He’s more droid than cyborg” Nala thought to herself

As the droid General walked closer, Nala noticed several tactical droids exit the ship behind him, moving to the east entrance of Dooku’s sprawling estate.

Finally, Grievous was but a few feet in front of them. 

“Welcome, Grievous” Dooku said, nodding towards the cyborg

“Thank you, Count” He rasped

“I will have someone show you to your room” Dooku continued, bowing before turning around and walking back into the palace. 

Grievous watched Dooku leave before turning to Maul and Nala. 

“A pleasure to see you again, Darth” He said in his high-pitched voice

“Likewise, General” Maul replied. “This is Nala Undarrie, my Apprentice” He continued, placing a hand on Nala’s back.

Nala bowed her head, and the cyborg General did the same. 

“I look forward to getting to know you, Apprentice” Grievous said, directing his gaze at Nala.

Nala smirked, gently nodding her head.

The cyborg looked her up and down, before turning around and walking into the palace.

“He’s definitely not quiet” Nala said, turning back to her Master and smiling. 

Maul smiled, placing a hand on her back, and the two walked into the estate. 

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

They arrived at the front of Maul’s room, and Nala bowed her head, moving to leave for her own room, but Maul gripped her arm and pulled her into his room.

“I don’t like how he was looking at you” He growled, pinning Nala against the wall.

“Oh sweetheart, he just met me” Nala said 

“Still”

“I won’t let him do anything”

“And if he does I swear I will gut his cyborg body piece by piece” Maul growled

“I know you will” Nala smiled gently.

Maul kissed her on the forehead. “Get some rest, love” He said, releasing his grip of her. “The conference is tomorrow”

“How could I forget?” Nala smiled

Maul placed a gentle kiss to her lips. She returned the kiss before sliding away from Maul, exiting the room. 

As she walked back to her room, she went through tomorrow’s schedule in her head. Lord Sidious wanted individual meetings with each person, and the conference officially started at noon. Nala’s meeting with Sidious was at 10:00. 

“Should be interesting” Nala thought to herself as she entered her room, changing out of her combat clothes into more comfortable sleeping clothes. She got herself ready and got into bed, falling fast asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Only a couple more chapters for this part of the series! I'm suuuuperrrr excited for the next part, it's a part of the series I've been looking forward to write since the very beginning!
> 
> Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoyed :))


	6. Discussions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nala meets Sidious at his request.

Nala awoke early the next morning. 

“Earlier than usual” She thought, sitting up and reaching for her comm, which read 6:07.

“Might as well be productive” She said to herself, standing up and stifling a yawn. 

She walked barefoot through her room, and sat down in the middle of the floor. Closing her eyes, she focused on her hatred. Her hatred for the Jedi, her hatred for Dooku, and she let all her emotions flow through her.

Nala sat on the ground, so vividly aware of everything around her, every person in the estate, every creature outside. She was one with the Force. Suddenly, something jolted in the Force. There was a looming darkness that had not been there before. Nala focused on the ball of evil, concentrating all her energy on feeling it. 

Sidious

Through the Force, Nala felt as he moved about, but could not distinctly see what he was doing, his emotions shielded. 

For a few more moments, Nala sat on the ground, meditating, until finally, she opened her eyes and got up, moving towards her closet and changed out of her sleep clothes, putting on a basic top and a random pair of pants. She walked out of her room and passed the kitchens, snatching a meiloorun on the way. She exited the sprawling estate, walking through the gardens overlooking the city below. 

Nala finished her meiloorun and moved to a clearing in the garden, shape shifting and flying off.

She found a mountain not far away, and landed. She moved to the very edge and sat down, trusting herself to stay balanced. Nala sat, watching the city below, the few people completely oblivious to her going about their days, even though it was still quite early. 

She stayed there for a bit, enjoying the peace which was so rare for her. Eventually, she got up, shape shifting and flying away, soaring over mountains and treetops, until she checked her comm. It was 8:59. 

“Kriff” She swore under her breath. She had less than an hour to get back to Dooku’s palace, shower, and meet up with Lord Sidious. 

Quickly, she turned around, flying at full speed back towards the estate. She arrived moments later, checking her comm as she speed walked through the halls. 

“35 minutes” She thought

She arrived back at her room, shedding her more casual clothes and jumping in the refresher, washing herself.

“It’s so helpful I don’t have hair” She said to herself as she let the water rinse the soap off.

She jumped out, drying herself as she walked towards the closet, selecting her usual leather garments. She stood in front of the mirror as she adjusted the headpiece that sat between her Lekku. She grabbed her cloak, throwing it over her shoulders as she put on her boots.

Nala checked her comm as she ran out of her room. 9:54.

Inconveniently for her, the conference room was all the way at the other side of the estate. Nala ran through the halls, desperate not to be late. Just in time, she arrived in front of the conference room. It was 9:58. She pressed a button on the wall and the doors opened.

She walked in, and found Sidious standing by a window, looking out at the sprawling city below.

As Nala entered the room, the Sith Lord turned around. 

“Welcome, Apprentice” He growled in his deep voice

“My Lord” Nala replied, bowing 

“Rise, child” He said. “Walk with me”

Nala nodded, making her way over to Sidious.

The two left the conference room, walking through the suddenly deserted halls. 

“Tell me, how, and why, did you leave the Jedi Order?” He asked suddenly

Nala scowled, and even though she had expected this question, it still brought a fresh wave of anger through her. 

“I was on a Special Ops mission with my former Master to the planet Tithea. We needed to help the civilians end a planetary blockade. On one of the first days, my now Master captured one of my best ARC troopers, and along with one other trooper, I went to find him. We had to scale a huge cliff but finally we got to the top. We walked in, and my trooper was there, unconscious, and so was my Master, who was in his shape shifted appearance. He flew towards us and I ducked but my trooper wasn’t fast enough and got knocked out. I was prepared to fight but then he returned to his humanoid appearance and literally just walked in circles. So I asked him what he wanted and he said me, so obviously I was confused but he told me he would return my ARC trooper on one condition, that every night, when I was doing recon, I would go to him and we would just talk. I agreed and he let us go. At first I wasn’t very enthusiastic about it but the more time passed the more I discovered my hatred for the Jedi, and realized that the dark side truly was better. A few weeks passed and the Republic was scheduled to leave Tithea, but of course, I didn’t want to, so my Master came up with a plan for me to leave the Jedi, and clearly, it worked” 

“Interesting” Sidious said, focusing on her. “And are you, fond, of your Master?”

“Yes, my Lord” Nala replied cautiously. “He has taught me the ways of the Dark Side, and helped my power grow. I am stronger than I ever could have been with the Jedi” She scowled.

Sidious smirked.

“Should the time come, you are prepared to face, and kill, a Jedi?” He asked

Nala growled. 

“Yes” She said deeply. “I will have my revenge.”

“Do you feel confident enough to be sent on individual missions at my or your Master’s request?”

“Yes, My Lord”

Sidious smirked. 

“You are dismissed” He said, placing a hand on her shoulder.

Nala bowed her head, walking away from the Sith Lord.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
As she entered her room, she shed her cloak and boots, sitting down cross-legged on the ground, and entered a deep meditation, reflecting on the recent discussions with Sidious. For some time, she was deep in thought, deep in the Force, until she felt a dark, but familiar presence approach. Not Dooku, his presence was downright sinister, no, this was a more welcome presence. 

As soon as the door opened and she heard the sound of heavy footsteps crossing the floor towards her, she knew who it was. 

“Hello, Master” She said, not leaving her meditative state

He said nothing, moving over and bending down, placing his hands on her shoulders as he kissed the top of her head.

Nala opened her eyes and stood up, and as she did so, Maul moved his hands from her shoulders to her hips as she leaned in to kiss him. 

“How did your meeting with Sidious go?” He asked, sitting down on her couch

“We’ll talk about it later, sweetheart” She said. “The conference starts in twenty five minutes and I’m still not ready”

Maul chuckled, leaning back and propping a leg on the couch, watching her move towards the mirror, readjusting her headpiece and brushing some dirt of her shirt.

Nala heard Maul stand up and watched in the mirror as he approached her. Finally, he rested his hands on her waist, pulling her into him. Nala bent down, pretending to grab something off the floor as she purposely shoved her ass into Maul. He growled as she slowly stood back up, and moved one of his hands to her Lekku, gently but posessively stroking it. He smiled as she shivered, leaning back into his chest and tilting her head to look at him.

“Not now, Princess” He said. “We have a conference to attend to”

Nala smiled, placing a quick kiss to his lips as she walked away, grabbing her cloak and putting on her boots. Maul followed close behind, draping his cloak over his shoulders. 

They walked out the door, heading to the most important conference in the Separatist Federation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think I'm gonna write one more chapter for this part then I'll start the next one! I literally can't wait to write the next part of the story, I've been developping it since the very beginning.
> 
> Hope you enjoyed! Have a fantastic day :)


	7. Separatists

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The most important Separatist conference is taking place. Tensions run high, threatening to overwhelm everyone.

Maul and Nala walked through the estate, until finally they arrived at the doors of the conference room.

The door opened automatically, and the two walked in. Other than four or five tactical droids, they were the only ones there. 

“11:57” Nala said, reading her Master’s mind as she checked her comm.

Maul nodded, and as if on cue, Dooku and Ventress walked in.

“Good morning” He said, walking over to Maul, completely ignoring Nala.

Nala rolled her eyes and walked over to talk to Ventress, who was now standing by a window nearby.

“Morning” Ventress said as she watched Nala approach her.

Nala smiled. “How did your meeting with Sidious go?”

“Not bad” The Nightsister replied. “It was kind of boring, honestly. He basically asked me if I liked being apprenticed to my Master, and if I would like to be assigned any individual missions. What about you?”

Nala nodded. “Basically the same thing, but also like, how I left the Jedi” She scowled.

Ventress was about to say something when the door opened, revealing General Grievous. He walked into the room, nodding his head at Nala and Ventress, before stomping over to talk to Maul and Dooku. 

They began talking and Nala turned back to Ventress. 

“You were saying?”

“Nevermind” Ventress said, jerking her head towards the door.

Nala turned around to see Sidious standing in the doorway. In synch, everyone in the room except for the tactical droids bowed their heads. 

“My Lord” Echoed around the room as Sidious entered.

“Sit” He said. “Let the conference begin”

Everyone moved to sit down at the large table in the middle of the room. Nala sat down next to Maul, and to her dismay, across from Dooku. Ventress sat across from Maul, with Grievous on her right, while Sidious sat at the head of the table, overlooking everyone. The tactical droids stood nearby with holopads, ready to take notes. 

“Today we will be going over each of your assigned missions for the next few months, battle and tactical plans, and neutral systems that could be aligned with the Separatist forces” Sidious rasped. “Any questions?”

Everyone shook their heads. 

“Good. Let’s begin”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

For a while, Sidious went over and explained battle and tactical plans, mostly for the tactical droids, but Nala and everyone else listened intently. Finally, he began giving out missions and assignments.

“Darth Tyranus” He started, addressing Dooku. “You will go to Zygerria. I have intel that the queen has enslaved Jedi in her possession.”

Dooku grinned maliciously. 

“Once you have obtained the Jedi, bring them here” Sidious continued.

Dooku nodded.

“Assassin” Sidious said, now directing his attention to Ventress. “You will go to Nal Hutta and speak with the Hutts. Your Master will explain the rest of the mission to you.”

Ventress nodded, looking at Dooku, who, with a quick nod of his head, assured her he would brief her of her mission.

“Grievous, you will go to Dathomir” Sidious said.

When Nala heard the name of the familiar planet roll off of Sidious’ lips, she instantly looked up. Besides her, she could sense her Master do the same, and when she looked up, she saw Ventress was looking directly at Sidious.

Sidious ignored them, continuing to explain to Grievous his assignment.

“Capture Mother Talzin and bring her here. She must not escape.”

Nala felt her anger rise within her, and around her, she could feel Ventress seething with anger, but it was Maul who was the first to speak up.  
“You will do no such thing.” He growled through gritted teeth, looking first at Grievous, his glare resting on Sidious. 

“She is threatening the Federation. That witch must be stopped.” Sidious replied, exaggerating the word witch. 

“You will not touch her.” Ventress said, a murderous glare in her face, staring directly at Sidious. 

“You cannot stop me, Apprentice” Sidious glared.

“Are you so sure?” Nala asked.

She could feel all eyes on her, but she did not withdraw her stony glare. 

Before Sidious could say anything, Dooku spoke up.

“We did not ask you, Jedi” 

Nala was taken aback, but had no time to say anything before Maul lurched forwards, leaning across the table until he was inches away from Dooku. 

“Don’t you dare accuse my Apprentice of treason, Count” He growled, pointing a finger right at his face. 

“It’s ok, Master” Nala said calmly. “Because if I’m right, wasn’t the Count a Jedi as well? A Master, at that.” She said, a smug grin painted across her face. 

Maul turned around, a look which Nala deciphered as shock and pride painted on his face. He slowly sat back down, turning to face Nala, anger still etched across his features.

“No Apprentice, you are not mistaken” He growled, first looking at Nala, then Dooku. “The Count was in fact a Jedi Master, he even taught a padawan. So I believe that if anyone here is to be accused of treason and espionage, it would be him” 

Dooku glared at them, but before he could say anything, Sidious spoke up.

“Enough” He said slowly, his deep voice reverberating around the room. 

Nala looked up. Sidious’ gaze was unfaltering, slowly staring at everyone in the room, trying to pry open their minds. 

“I will re-assign Grievous this time.” He said slowly. “But if you are all so eager to keep your dear Mother Talzin alive, I suggest you talk to her.” 

Maul growled, and Ventress glared at Sidious.   
“Lord Maul, you and your apprentice will go to Mandalore. Inform your troops there of your arrival. You leave tomorrow.” Sidious said, as if nothing had happened.

“Yes, My Lord” Maul growled.

“You may all leave” Sidious said. “General, keep your tactical droids here and return here in no more than twenty minutes.”

“Yes, My Lord” Grievous’ computerized voice said. For nearly the whole meeting, he had remained silent, watching the series of events unfold around him.

As soon as Sidious had finished talking to Grievous, Dooku stood up, rushing out of the room. Ventress followed unwillingly, turning her head and gently nodding towards Maul and Nala, who returned the nod. 

Maul looked at Nala and they stood up, unfalteringly striding out of the room. 

As they walked back to Maul’s room, Nala was overwhelmed by the anger and emotions radiating off her Master. 

“Relax, sweetheart” She said to him through their connection in the Force. Maul said nothing, continuing to walk towards his nearing room. 

Finally, he pushed open the doors and the walked in, automatically shutting the doors behind them.

“That.” He growled slowly. “Was the last straw. For both of them. They will not get away with their insolence.” 

“Dooku is a coward. He’s trying to get under your skin. He’s going after me to get to you, love. You can’t let him get to you.” Nala replied, slowly making her way over to Maul, snaking her arms around him and pulling him into a hug. 

“No one will ever hurt you. I promise.” Maul said, wrapping his arms around her and holding her tight. 

“I love you” Nala said

“I love you, too”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was the last chapter for this part of the series! Hope you enjoyed :))

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed, please leave feedback :)
> 
> \-----
> 
> Also I'm sorry this part has taken so long for me to upload, believe it or not I've been really busy!


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